To kick off their annual lecture series, the West African Research Center (WARC) in Dakar, Senegal hosted a round table discussion entitled “What is Soul” on Wednesday, December 7, 2005. The round table followed a small public concert by American Blues singer Percy Sledge, who led the discussion. “What is Soul” examined the music that marked the historical evolution of the African Diaspora and the attempt to understand the contribution of Soul Music in this historical and cultural process. It was attended by Senegalese students, researchers, academics, and music lovers as well as a number of foreign students and researchers. The lecture series is designed to reflect WARC’s role as a center for the arts and a bridge between American and African-American culture. In 2002 and 2005 , WARC organized the Bouki Blues Festival, an international conference and celebration of the cultural links between West Africa and its many Diaspora.